The Boy Who Stole A Suit
by Merqurius
Summary: When Ianto is fifteen years old, he gets caught shoplifting. But what if a certain Captain happened to be walking by and was intrigued enough not to let the teenager go to jail?


Summary: When Ianto is fifteen years old, he gets caught shoplifting. But what if a certain Captain happened to be walking by and was intrigued enough not to let the teenager go to jail?

Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Or else a certain person would still be alive…

**The Boy Who Stole A Suit**

Ianto Jones was running towards the door, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Sound seemed to fade away, his only focus was on making it to the threshold, to which he came closer every second. He was almost there, just a few more feet, when he suddenly felt a vice-like grip around his upper right arm. He was jerked to a halt and almost fell over. However, he regained his composure within a few moments and started struggling, desperately attempting to get away. But the security guard was much stronger and Ianto felt himself being dragged away from that tantalizing freedom and regretfully saw the door disappearing from his view.

The security guard wrenched Ianto's bag from his hand and waved it in front of his face. "I've been watching you, boy! You thought you could get away with stealing here, huh? But I saw you, running towards the door!" His gigantic red face was only inches from Ianto's, who tried, unsuccessfully, to back away. "David," the guard called to somebody in the back of the store, "Call the police. We've got a little shoplifter here."

"That won't be necessary," a different voice suddenly broke into the conversation. Both Ianto and the security guard looked up.

"And who are you then?" The guard demanded.

The stranger took a badge from his pocket and showed it to the guard. "Captain Jack Harkness. I'll take it from here."

Ianto couldn't see the badge, but guessed it was impressive. The guard studied it intently and while he was busy, Ianto once more tried to jerk his arm free. This time, he was more successful. He felt the man's fingers slip from his arm and was about to set off again, but he was quickly halted when another hand closed around his collar and his escape was yet again forestalled. The tall stranger, dressed in a military coat, was restraining him with apparent ease. He put away his badge and looked for confirmation at the security guard, while Ianto still tried to escape from his grip.

The guard shrugged, glaring at Ianto. "You can have him. Little thief. Can't be older than fifteen and already a criminal."

Jack Harkness looked down at Ianto as well. The guard was right, the boy couldn't be older than fifteen. He was thin and not tall for his age, with pale skin and short black hair. In Jack's view, he didn't seem the type to be a 'little thief'. "With me." He addressed the teenager directly for the first time and started walking towards the door, keeping a tight hold on Ianto's collar with his right hand.

The SUV was parked about half a mile away and they set off at a brisk pace. With his left hand, Jack carried the bag that Ianto had attempted to get away with.

"You can let go off me. I can walk by myself, you know." Ianto snapped, deciding not to accept the current status quo and jerking his shoulders once more to get rid of the hand holding his shirt. "You don't have to choke me."

"Fine," Jack answered with a small grin. "I won't choke you." He let go off Ianto's collar and Ianto was allowed to take one step on his own, before Jack pushed him roughly against a nearby brick wall and pinned his arms behind his back. Seconds later, Ianto felt the cold grip of handcuffs on both his wrists. When the cuffs were securely in place, Jack allowed Ianto to step away from the wall.

"You bas-"

Jack cut him off by clipping him sternly round the ears. "Language." He saw that Ianto was about to speak again and added firmly: "Either you're going to show some manners right now, or I'm going to get some of that extra strong soap I've got in my vehicle that I'm just dying to test out on someone's mouth, understood?"

Ianto glared ferociously at him, but didn't speak.

"Understood?" Jack pressed, his hand back on Ianto's collar, shaking him slightly.

"Yes, sir." His voice was suddenly quiet and no longer held that petulant quality. He suddenly seemed much younger than fifteen and Jack felt a stab of pity.

"Come on then." He allowed Ianto to walk next to him, still handcuffed, while guiding him in the right direction with a hand between his shoulder blades. When they reached the SUV, Jack opened one of the doors to the back. "Get in."

Ianto looked hesitantly at the big car and then at Jack. The older man soon saw the problem. Instead of removing the handcuffs, however, he grabbed Ianto's upper arms and lifted him the car, before putting the seat belt around him and getting behind the wheel himself. In the mirror, he saw Ianto wriggling in his place. "Sit still," he ordered firmly. "If you even attempt to open the door or undo the seatbelt, I'm pulling over and putting you over my knee. And you'll regret it." He made eye contact with the teenager through the mirror and was satisfied to see Ianto blushing furiously at his threat.

"You can't do that! You're a policeman, you can't!" Catching Jack's look through the mirror and remembering the earlier warning about manners, he quickly lowered his voice and amended his tone. "You can't, sir."

Jack merely raised an eyebrow at his protest. "And what makes you so sure I'm a policeman?"

The embarrassment in the boy's eyes quickly made way for terror, which he masked impressively after just a few seconds. "You showed that guard a badge, sir."

Jack shrugged. "Many organizations have badges. I could even have faked one."

"But you didn't, sir."

The definite tone surprised Jack. The boy started to intrigue him more and more. "Is that so?"

"Yes, sir," Ianto answered confidently. He was feeling more sure of himself now he was able to control the situation through reasoning. "You showed the guard your badge. He recognized it, so your organization actually exists. And if you faked the badge, you wouldn't be so noticeable. You wouldn't wear that big coat or drive this car. It's too flash. It attracts attention. You wouldn't want that."

Jack nodded. He was impressed, but didn't go out of his way to show it. "Makes sense. However, your point still doesn't stand. You're right in saying that I work for an actual organization. It's called 'Torchwood'. But we're outside the government, beyond the police. Now that you're in my custody, I can do anything I like. Which includes putting you over my knee whenever I feel like it."

Ianto blushed again and stopped his fidgeting, but when he spoke once more, Jack could hear the fear in his voice. "So what are you going to do to me? What does your organization want with me?"

Jack sped up the SUV and Ianto was pressed further back in his seat, his arms uncomfortably crushed behind his back. "You'll see."

Jack's words were hardly comforting, but Ianto sensed the conversation was over and didn't dare to ask anything else. He was scared, but the fear was mixed with exhilaration. This man, this Captain Jack Harkness, impressed him and he felt something akin to admiration, in spite of the fact that Jack was also frightening and intimidating. It was the first time in years that he was forced to have a grudging respect for an adult, even though this adult had just arrested him and was now taking him to an unknown location.

After twenty minutes of driving, the SUV came to a halt in front of the hub. Jack got out and opened the door to the backseat. He undid Ianto's seatbelt and almost lifted him out of the car. Then he placed his hand on the boy's back again and led him to the tourist office. When they were inside, Ianto looked around the small space, clearly unimpressed.

"This is your headquarters?"

Jack sensed the disdain in his voice. "No," he corrected calmly, before pushing the red button underneath the desk and opening the cog door. "_This_ is my headquarters." He led Ianto inside the hub.

Ianto halted on the threshold and simply stared. Jack softly pushed him through the door and led him up the stairs to his office. He sat the teenager down in a chair across his desk and took up his usual position behind it. Grabbing a pen and a notebook, he looked at Ianto, who was still craning his neck to study the hub in awe.

"So," Jack began, waiting until Ianto's eyes were upon him again. "What's your name?"

"Jones. Ianto Jones, sir."

"Jones. Ianto Jones," Jack repeated with a grin, but careful not to mock the boy's James Bond-like delivery. "Your date of birth?"

"19th of August, 1983."

That made him just over fifteen. "Address?"

Ianto rattled off his personal details and when Jack had everything he needed, he placed the notebook to the side. "Many teenagers, at one time or another during their childhood, have a go at shoplifting, Ianto Jones. I understand that. It's the thrill, the excitement. It's not about the object that is actually stolen. It's about trying to get away with it. So teenagers steal some sweets, a CD, something small, something insignificant. They don't steal …" Jack grabbed the bag he'd taken from the security guard at the shop and piled the contents on his desk. "They don't steal a suit."

Jack's eyes bore into Ianto's and he was forced to look away. Instead, he focused on the suit, lying rumpled on the desk in front of him. It was a good suit. Black trousers and jacket, red shirt and a black tie. It had fitted him perfectly.

"Why?" Jack asked him. "With all the things to nick, why go for a suit? What does a boy your age want with a suit?"

Ianto didn't look at Jack. He slumped in his seat and answered with seeming disinterest: "Dunno."

Jack Harkness wasn't a man known for patience, especially not when dealing with unruly teenagers. "Sit up straight!" He barked. Ianto startled and was quick to obey. "I'm going to ask you again: why did you try to steal a suit?"

Ianto hesitated. Fear and shame waged a battle within him and in the end, shame won out. "Why did you even bring me here? What does your organization do?"

Jack sighed and got up from behind his desk. He walked around it and stood over Ianto, forcing the teenager to look up at him. "Torchwood catches aliens." He ignored the boy's gasp. "I was called out today to respond to a sighting of an alien. But when I arrived at the location, it was already gone. Now, that species of alien wasn't particularly dangerous or criminal, so I had no trouble waiting for the next opportunity to catch it. I was on my way back to the car when I saw you being apprehended by the guard. A boy stealing a suit. You intrigued me, Ianto Jones, and that's why you're going to answer my question."

"Or what, sir?" There was a clear challenge in that last word.

Jack spun the desktop of the computer on his desk around so that it faced Ianto. He tapped a few keys and the screen suddenly showed the CCTV footage of the Torchwood holding cells. "Or I'll store you in here until you decide to be a bit more cooperative."

Ianto stared at the cells. He nodded his head towards the most left one. "Is that an alien?" He asked, looking from Jack to the weevil and back. Fear was now very distinctly present in his voice.

"It is." Jack leaned back against his desk, though careful not to stand in Ianto's view of the screen. "Are you going to answer me?"

Ianto remained silent.

"No?" Jack pushed himself away from the desk and made a move to grab one of Ianto's upper arms, as if to drag him towards the cells.

"Yes! Yes, yes, I'll answer," Ianto shouted immediately, frantically trying to avoid Jack's hands while keeping his eyes on the screen. "I'm sorry, sir. Please don't put me in there!"

Jack stepped back, giving the boy some of his space and security back. "Then tell me."

Ianto took a deep, shaky breath. "I didn't go there to steal the suit, honestly. I just wanted to try it. I wanted to know what it felt like. At the school where I go to, we don't wear uniforms and the boys at the more expensive schools always act as if they're better than we are, just because they get to wear one. I just wanted to know whether I'd feel better, more powerful, if I wore a suit." His voice almost faded away. "Whether I'd be somebody." Ianto swallowed and took a moment to regain his composure. "And I did. I felt better when I wore it, it felt almost like an armour, you know?"

He looked pleadingly at Jack and Jack nodded, indicating his military coat. "I know."

"I didn't want to leave it in the shop. I know I shouldn't have, but I put it in my bag and just ran." His voice became softer again. "I'm sorry."

"So you want to feel powerful?" Jack questioned.

Ianto shifted in his chair. "I'm not sure it's exactly power I want. Just some acknowledgement. I want to be someone people can respect and trust." He laughed humorlessly. "I'm so tired of being invisible."

"You wouldn't be invisible if they caught you stealing. You'd have the attention of your parents, your teachers, the court. Not positive attention, mind you, but attention nonetheless," Jack reasoned. "Is that what you want?"

"Not really," Ianto scoffed. "I mean, they'd shout, they'd lecture and they'd punish me, but they wouldn't really listen. They wouldn't care _why_ I did it." He turned his eyes back to Jack and his tone of voice became suddenly suspicious. "So why do you?"

"Like I said," Jack shrugged. "You intrigue me, Ianto Jones. Stealing a suit, because you're tired of being invisible. To me, that shows ambition. That shows promise. And I'm not going to let that go to waste because of a criminal record or the inability of your environment to see that."

"So what are you going to do with me, sir?" Ianto asked again, still afraid of the answer. "I committed a crime. That's serious."

"It is," Jack agreed. "So what do you think I should do with you?"

Ianto hesitated, his eyes seeking the monitor with the CCTV footage of the cells again. "You should lock me up. For a while. Until I've learned my lesson."

"You haven't learned it yet?" Jack asked, amused.

"Well, I have," Ianto conceded. "But adults never believe it when you tell them that."

Jack had to try very hard not to laugh at Ianto's last remark. He only just managed to keep a straight face. "So it's up to me to decide when you've learned your lesson, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay," Jack nodded. "Stand up."

"Are you going to take me to the cells?" His voice shook slightly and again he seemed so very young.

Jack moved behind Ianto and undid the cuffs, finally releasing the boy's arms from their uncomfortable position. Jack inspected his wrists, glad to see that the handcuffs hadn't hurt him much. They were slightly raw and Jack supposed Ianto's arms would be a bit stiff, but he wouldn't experience any serious discomfort.

"No," he then said, while Ianto absentmindedly rubbed his right wrist with the fingers of his left hand while looking up at the older man. "I think you've learned your lesson." Jack went over to his desk, folded the suit and placed it neatly in the bag. Then he handed the bag to Ianto, who took it, surprised.

"I can't pay for it, sir."

"Yes, I think I gathered that, with the whole shoplifting thing," Jack grinned. "I've paid for it this time. And you're going to pay me back when you've started your first proper job."

"I will, sir!" Ianto looked as if he couldn't believe his luck. "But you're just going to let me go?"

"I'm not." Jack watched Ianto's face fall slightly. "I'll still be watching you. All the police records come through this place. I'll tell the computer to scan for your name every day. If I find that you've been arrested again or that you've even been cautioned, I'll come and find you."

"And then what, sir?" Ianto's mouth suddenly went dry.

"Then I'm going to make very, very sure that you're not going to do it again. You won't be invisible anymore, Ianto Jones. Not to me. I'll be watching you constantly." Jack started to lead Ianto out of the office, back towards the cog door. "Because I believe that you're going to be somebody. Somebody special. Somebody magnificent. And I'm not going to let that go to waste, understood?"

The door opened and Ianto found himself back in the tourist office. "Understood, sir." Jack walked him outside and they both blinked against the bright sunlight. "But sir," Ianto began again as his eyes got used to the light. "I know about Torchwood now. Aren't you afraid I'll tell somebody?"

Jack shook his head. "Think about it. Who would believe you? And even if they did, you forget that I also have information on you. If you tell on me, I'll tell on you." He took in Ianto's shocked face. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to blackmail you into silence. I trust you not to say anything." His eyes bore in Ianto's. "And who knows? I might offer you a job someday."

"I'll keep it secret, sir," Ianto promised sincerely. He waved the bag containing his suit at Jack. "And I'll pay you back for this!"

"O yes, you will!" Jack grinned. He stepped back into the tourist office. "Don't disappoint me, Ianto Jones!"

Before the door closed, he could just hear Ianto's response. "I won't, sir!"

The door fell shut and Jack made his way back into the hub. "I know you won't," he whispered to himself, allowing a smile to settle on his lips.

TW

Ianto Jones nervously waited in Jack's office after his first day of work. The past ten hours had been exhausting and he was feeling tired and sore, yet glad that his suit was still immaculate. When Jack finally entered his office, Ianto quickly stood up from his chair. He offered his boss an envelope.

The older man took it and looked inside. Then he smiled at Ianto. "Almost exactly ten years later. Seems fitting. I guess I can tell the computer to finally stop scanning for your name."

"It was still doing that?" Ianto asked, surprised. "You never forgot?"

Jack threw him a grin. "Ianto Jones. The boy who stole a suit. How could I forget you?" He became a bit more serious then. "So," he indicated the suit Ianto was currently wearing. "Are you somebody now?"

Ianto seemed to consider that for a moment. "Not quite yet. But I'm no longer invisible."

"You never were to me," Jack said sincerely and then winked at him. "And you know what? I was right back then. You really do look great in a suit." Ianto blushed. Jack was glad to see he was still capable of that. He placed the envelope on his desk. It had never been about the money. Jack Harkness set little store by financial matters. The gesture, the fact that the young boy of fifteen had turned into the intelligent and unassuming man that was now standing in front of him, was reward enough. "Go get some rest, Ianto. I need you back here first thing tomorrow."

Ianto nodded gratefully and walked towards the door. He looked back at Jack once more. "Thank you, sir."

A look passed between them and it seemed almost as if Ianto wanted to come back in. Then the moment faded and he closed the door behind him. Jack sighed. He hoped Ianto would one day feel comfortable enough to stay. But until that moment, Jack would watch him from a distance and simply wait patiently.

"It was my pleasure, Ianto Jones."

**THE END**

**At least, I think it's the end. Do you think I should leave it like this or perhaps add another chapter about young Ianto meeting Jack once again in a certain situation? Please let me know what you think. Your feedback is much appreciated.**


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